Revised: Challenging the Norm May Lead to New Therapy for Type 2
Diabetes

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 24, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- What happens
when leading biochemists get together to challenge conventional
pharmaceutical theories? Often, incredible new drug therapies are
born. Recently, this same scenario began when two former major
pharma scientists challenged the concept behind the leading
treatments for type 2 diabetes, a disease that impacts millions of
Americans. They saw the side effects caused by the current therapy
like edema and weight gain, and went to work on a hypothesis that
the current receptor was leading to these side effects associated
with PPAR-based therapies.

As non-conventional as the theory was, it's working. Drs. Jerry
Colca and Rolf Kletzien, co-founders of Kalamazoo, Michigan-based
Metabolic Solutions Development Company (MSDC), have completed
Phase I clinical studies and just received second phase funding
from a Michigan-based science fund. They have applied for an FDA
fast-track review of their work.

"We are pleased that our lead compound performed so well in
Phase I studies," said Colca, MSDC's chief scientific officer.
"Pre-clinical studies suggest that this compound can deliver
significant pharmacological benefit without the complications
inherent in current PPAR-based therapies."